Pillars of Heracles
by MP54AC
Summary: Gibraltar is a mercenary organization operating in the New World, at the convergence point of the territory of the four Yonkos. One day, tasked with an impossible quest, this band of mercenaries will face off against foes past and present, and through it all, truly discovery what it means to look out for one another.
1. Gibraltar! An Impossible Request!

The stone-gray meeting room seemed to grow colder and more distant in that moment, so unlike its usual disposition, if an inanimate room could have a disposition. The featureless walls and narrow windows seemed to expand and contract at the same time, getting closer, yet further away as Shijo attempted to process the information before him. He let out a sigh, before moving closer

"Let me get this straight? You want me, no, all of Gibraltar, to kill the Yonko Kaido?" Shijo finally looked up from the bounty poster with the aforementioned's name on it to stare quizzically at the two World Nobles sat across from him.

"Not only that, but you came, in your little bubbles and all, to the center of the New World? And you weren't somehow captured or killed? I'd say you have all the resources to carry out your dirty deed already." Shijo leaned back in his seat, finally allowing a small grin to cross his face at the annoyed and flustered looks on the faces of the World Nobles.

"We do not see the need to dirty our hands personally. That is what mercenaries like you exist for!" The first World Noble, Charleus, exclaimed angrily. "And for the record, we hired mercenaries to escort us here. We have more than enough money!" Charleus seemed to realize the intensity of his outbursts and slowly reclined back on his seat.

"We are prepared to offer 5 billion Beli per person, for a total of 35 billion Beli. That is 1.5 billion more than what the World Government is offering." The lady companion, Moirajane, said calmly.

"4 billion Beli? And what exactly has Kaido done to warrant seeking out a group of New World mercenaries?" Shijo questioned. The grin slipped off Shijo's face when confronted with the price tag for the proposed mission and he leaned forward yet again, fingers curling together into a resting place for his chin.

"Our family owned a number of hidden islands in the New World. Rare treasures, ancestral homes, ancient tomes, you get the gist." Moirajane waved airily, though the hard look in her eye betrayed her seemingly lackadaisical attitude. "Kaido somehow found them. It took him less than a day to raid everything and destroy all that was left afterwards. Some of the islands… he sunk them, presumably on a whim." Moirajane's voice became increasingly angry, although the volume didn't rise, the longer she spoke.

Shijo appraised the two of them once more. Moirajane had calmed down slightly, and while she refused to meet his eyes, her expression, a mix between sadness and outrage still rested on her faces. Charleus was alternating between comforting her and sparing angry, yet ineffective glares at Shijo.

"You understand, I'll need to consult the rest of my members on this since you want all of us?" Both heads across from him nodded furiously. "Then we're understood. One week from today, one of our members will be waiting at Tree #7 at the Sabaody Archipelago at 9am. If they aren't there, then we aren't taking the deal. I assume you can find the way out." Both World Nobles stared at Shijo in shock at his casual dismissal. Shijo merely waved his hand at the entrance to the stone meeting room. Composing themselves, although their outrage never fully left their eyes, the World Nobles exited the room, their paid mercenaries, who had been posted at the door, following closely behind them.

Sighing once more, Shijo stepped out onto the balcony overlooking Hercules Island. The island was actually a set of twin mountains facing each other, with a river-like lake separating the left mountain, Calpe Mons from the right mountain, Abila Mons. Gibraltar's headquarters were built into each mountain, with a crossing to link both sides. The balcony contained a staircase to access the collective mountain peaks, the Jebel Musa. It was these very same steps that Shijo began to walk on, starting the long ascent to the top.

" _35 billion Beli…_ " Shijo mused as he continued with his walk along the winding staircase. Shijo paused when he heard a sonorous, echoing caw. Grimacing, Shijo shook his left arm loose, preparing the abilities of his Nenshō Nenshō no Mi. Suddenly, breaking through the clouds surrounding the peak was one of the island's native residents, the Hercules eagle. Adorned with blue and gold feathers and talons sharp enough to cut to the bone, the giant bird with a wingspan of over 20 ft began a sudden dive out of the clouds, directly towards Shijo, sensing what it thought was going to be dinner.

Shijo braced himself, then extended his left arm, palm open. A faint, yet sharp whistling in the air was heard, before a medium size explosion occured, right as the eagle flew within grabbing range. With a garbled cry, the broken bones and flaming feathers of the Hercules eagle could no longer serve their purpose and with one last despondent caw, fell into the valley below. Shijo grimaced once more, before adopting a brisk walking pace; he was almost at the peaks.

Shijo broke through the clouds and walked onto the stone platform that connected the two peaks. Named the Pillars of Heracles after legends from another world, the two peaks had a unique property of being able to project sounds made hear across the center of the New World. Hercules Island was at the centerpoint between the territories of the four Yonko, which probably contributed to the properties of the peaks. Shijo stood in the center, arms extended heavenward and took a deep breath.

Shijo fired off one explosion and then paused, before firing off 5 rapid fire explosions. Taking another pause, Shijo let loose one last explosion. In spite of all the information he had learned today, Shijo grinned. It had been sometime since all of Gibraltar had been together.

Vapor stood on top of a forested outcrop overlooking Marine Base G-5. Leaning against a tree, she noticed dust swirling around her lightly. Doing her best to bring the torrent of emotions within to a standstill, Vapor looked once more at the G-5 base. Suddenly, Vapor heard a series of seven explosions in distinct pattern. Dust began circulating around her in increasing quantities and speed, her Hoko Hoko no Mi abilities in tune with her nature. Noting the outpour of Marine from inside the G-5 base, Vapor turned on her heel and disappeared into the forest, heading for the coastline.

"A full on summons, huh. Wonder what caused this…" Vapor muttered to herself as she dashed through the forest. "That Kirigaya Shijo sure does make things interesting...:"

Cecil Barnes exited the ancient, decaying ruins, scroll in hand. Despite his usual gruff appearance, brought on by years of Marine experience, he could barely contain the grin threatening to appear. A sudden gust of wind caused Cecil's Marine coat to flap roughly in the wind, the JUSTICE logo on the back with an X through it seemingly undisturbed by the wind. A series of explosions startled Cecil from his thoughts.

"A summons from HQ? Gotta be big…" The sun's rays broke through the clouds, shining directly on Cecil. Finally, the grin appeared on his face.

"Looks like we're in for a treat!" Cecil exclaimed as he made his way toward his ship.

Hariken Kibe and Kanagi Isoko dropped the body of a dead bandit on the floor of the office. The mayor of Garamond Island looked up, startled.

"Here's the leader. Bandit tribe is dead. They'll bother you no more. I assume our money is somewhere in that desk?" Isoko spoke softly, but firmly. Kibe merely backed up and took a seat on the old wooden chair against the wall, staring off to the side with a bored look.

"Ah, y-yes, it's right h-here!" The mayor reached into the desk and pulled out stacks of Beli, counting the bands. "Yes, y-you have it all r-right here, 500,000 Beli as p-promised!" The mayor began sweating profusely, alternating between looking at the dead bandit and avoiding Isoko's eyes.

"Have you never seen death before? Did you expect us to leave them alive? You asked us to get rid of them, what did you think that meant?" Isoko questioned the mayor angrily. Before the mayor had a chance to answer, however, seven distinct explosions were heard. Isoko grabbed the money, stuffing it into her clothes. She slammed her hand on the desk, activating the power of her Dōka Dōka no Mi, the wood slowly traveling over her body, before dashing out of the room, Kibe right behind her.

Isoko burst through the main entrance, her body now completely wood. Kibe ran out right behind her, the beginnings of a localized storm forming around him as he activated his Taifū Taifū no Mi. Seeing nothing damaged outside, a grimace formed on Isoko's face as she turned towards Kibe, who had come to the same realization. Wordlessly, Kibe extended the range of his storm to encapsulate her, and with a gesture, they rose off the ground. Rotating slightly, Kibe and Isoko suddenly lurched forward at increasing amounts of speed, heading for the center of the New World.

Hissing slightly, one snake-like head, although it was far too large to actually be one, emerged from the deep forest. One after another, making no noise other than a slight hissing, six more heads emerged as well, all attached to one, large quadrupedal beast. One head turned around to survey its cargo.

"Yakssshi. Wake up. We do not have time to dawdle." Seere Raisa's seven headed glared at the apparently sleeping man on her back.

"You don't have time to dawdle. You could've just left me in a tree, i'd have been fine." Yakshi, eyes closed, waved his hand at the ground, activating his Tsurī Tsurī no Mi. Four posts of wood rose from the ground, then began intertwining and layering itself until it resembled the shape of a four post bed. Sliding off of Seere, Yakshi began making his way to the wooden bed. Letting out some weird combination between a grumble and a hiss, Seere began transforming back into her human shape. Her heads and scales began retracting into her, hind legs and tail being absorbed into her tailbone. Her long hair began tumbling down, and soon Seere was fully human again, save for her snake eyes. She glared over at Yakshi, who had apparently gone back to sleep.

"Wake up, you idiot! You heard the explosions, you know what that means!" Seere continued to glare at Yakshi.

"I know what it means, but I really don't feel like moving, you know what I mean?" Yakshi, eyes still closed, assumed a more comfortable position in the wooden bed.

"You dolt! You are my only way off this island. At least get me back, Shijo can burn you to a crisp without me being here!" Seere said, exasperated.

"Fine, fine, I'll get us back, as long as I can sleep on your tits on the way back?" Yakshi swung his legs off of the wooden bed halfheartedly, eyes finally open and staring at Seere's chest.

"Do that and I will roast you myself, Shijo be damned! Build the damn ship!" Seere began walking towards the shoreline, away from Yakshi's guffawing. In front of her, wood burst out of the ground, twisting and curving in magnificent ways until shortly, a basic pirate ship stood in front of her. The last thing to materialise was a wooden ladder, directly in front of here. Seere climbed aboard, sparing a glance at Yakshi, who was propped on his side on the wooden bed, grinning up at her.

"Get up here before I drag you up here, you insufferable fool!" Seere turning on her heel, waking to the fore of the ship. She gazed across the horizon, stopping in the direction she knew the center of the New World.

"Gibraltar, I'm coming home!"


	2. Re-united! Great Powers Collide!

For the second time in as many days, shocked silence reverberated around the featureless stone meeting room. Shijo slowly took in the various expressions on the faces of the members of Gibraltar; The openly displayed shock on the faces of Cecil, Vapor and Seere, the bored faces of Kibe and Yakshi and the contemplative look on Isoko's face. Shijo exhaled slowly, leaning back in his seat.

"Just to recap, 5 billion Beli per person. All we have to do, as a collective, is kill the Yonko Kaido. Doable, no?" Shijo's attempt at a quip belied the undercurrent of apprehension in his voice.

"You realize that what has been asked of us is not a feasible request?" Cecil finally spoke up. He clutched the rolled parchment in his hand even harder

"The highest bounty ever is Kaido's 3.5 billion Beli though. 5 Billion Beli! Where else would you even acquire that much Beli at once without plundering all of Mariejois?" Yakshi countered, looking more attentive than anyone had seen him in a while.

"Is 5 billion Beli worth the risk, you madman?!" Seere glared angrily down at Yakshi, who was seated on the floor next to her.

"If we have all seven of us, and we're no slouches, yeah, I'd say 5 billion Beli is worth the risk." Yakshi lazily replied, slouching so as to lean against Seere's leg. Glaring once more an the man, Seere haughtily huffed and raised her head to look back at Shijo.

"You three? Any thoughts?" Shijo directed his attention at Vapor, Isoko and Kibe, who had yet to speak.

"It doesn't matter to me. At least it'll be some good action." Kibe shrugged and made his way over to one of the couches scattered throughout the room and promptly flopped on it.

"If we're going to do this, we'll need to prepare and we'll have to start now." Vapor met Shijo's eyes, acceptance and resignation present in equal amounts. Isoko nodded, seemingly agreeing with Vapor's conclusion.

"Then it's settled. Looks like we're going to kill a Yonko. No doubt the Marines will thank us." Shijo chuckled humorlessly as he stood. "Cecil, what's that you've been holding onto?" Shijo questioned.

"I came across some fresh ruins before my departure back here. It wasn't just the buildings, the entire island I was on had suffered damage all the way to its foundations. It wasn't the only one in the area like that either." Cecil expression looked almost haunted, wondering what could have caused that destruction.

"That would probably be the islands that the World Nobles owned that got rampaged by Kaido." Shijo said grimly.

"All that destruction was Kaido? There doesn't even seem to have been a battle, just wanton violence!" Cecil exclaimed in shock. "I knew he was strong, but all that and he wasn't even serious?" Shijo nodded at Cecil's question.

"Yeah, that's what we're up against. The parchment?" Shijo questioned once more.

"Something that might be of use in this upcoming fight. They're inscriptions of three poneglyphs, one of them a road poneglyph. I've already made a copy." Cecil spoke.

"A poneglyph?! We have no time to waste then. Cecil, you and Vapor are heading to Zou immediately. Take those inscriptions, you're looking for Nico Robin of the Straw Hat Pirates. Get those translated and bring them back her, you can leave the copies with them afterwards." Cecil nodded and exchanged a quick glance with Vapor, before the two departed for the docks. Shijo turned towards the rest of the members.

"Kibe, you and Yakshi, vist Water 7. We're going to need a ship of a higher caliber than anything we have now. Six days from now, be at Tree #7 at Sabaody Archipelago. You don't have to do anything but be present. Yakshi, I know you're a lazy bum, don't let this be that rare occasion you draw attention to yourself." Shijo finished his statement with a hard look at Yakshi, who grinned with his eyes closed, still leaning against Seere's leg.

"Help me up dearie?" Yakshi lazily raised a hand at Seere, who rolled her eyes, before hoisting him up. Pausing only briefly, she suddenly grabbed his wrist and upper arm, before spinning and throwing him out of one of the narrow windows. The sound of maniacal laughter faded as Yakshi began his descent into the valley below. Kibe started momentarily at Seere, before activating his devil fruit powers and flying out of the very same window Yakshi did.

"Was that entirely necessary Seere?" Shijo questioned with a small chuckle.

"Eh. I needed the laugh anyhow. You got instructions for us too?" Seere gestured at herself and Isoko.

"The three of us will be gathering allies. You and Isoko are both girls, which is why I saved this one for you all. You'll both be looking for the Shichibukai, the Maiden Hunter Artemis. She owes me a favor and since you're both women, she won't kill you on sight. Check Lunar Island first, if she's not there, you'll have to encounter her somehow." Isoko and Seere nodded quickly.

"Shijo, what are you going to do?" Isoko questioned as she and Seere made their way towards the door.

"I've got my own Shichibukai to find. After that, I'm not sure. There is someone else who could be beneficial to our goal, but he wouldn't exactly be an ally." Shijo stood suddenly, throwing his coat around his shoulders, the feeling of excitement coursing through his bones.

"And who would that be?" Seere asked as the three made their way down the stairs to the docks.

"The Green Bull, Admiral Ryokugyu." Shijo grinned once more. Gibraltar was united once more.

The trio reached the docks. Several ornate, yet sturdy wooden ships were anchored, all forms from Yakshi's Tsuri Tsuri no Mi. Kibe and Yakshi could be seen in the distance, having already set sail. The beginnings of a storm could be seen, likely a result of Kibe's Taifū Taifū no Mi manifesting. Cecil and Vapor were present on another ship, making final preparations and raising the anchor.

"Shijo. You don't need both of us to find the Straw Hats, Cecil is fine on his own. I'm tagging with you." Vapor spoke as she hovered off the ship.

"What makes you think I'm not fine on my own either?" Shijo split from Isoko and Seere, each heading to their respective ships, Vapor trailing along behind him.

"You are, you're just most likely to get in trouble and whatnot. Besides, it's been a while since it's been just us." Vapor smiled knowingly as she and Shijo began preparations to depart on their own ship. Behind them, Isoko and Seere and Cecil's ships begun leaving the docks, their ship being the last there.

"Sure. Not like you're already on the ship anyhow. While you're here, might as well pull up that anchor." Shijo spoke gruffly, although not without humor, as he stared out into the New World ocean that lay before him.


	3. Showdown! Battle at Baltigo

Diego Garcia folded the newspaper he was reading, as he leaned back in his armchair, facing a window overlooking the misty crags of the island of Baltigo. He had learned much information, through both the news and various others sources, and it seems as if many of the New World's powers were coming into play. There was only one last source to check, to verify everything. Diego pulled a jet-black Den Den Mushi from inside his cloak, covered in gold swirl patterns. Diego pressed a button on the back of the mushi's shell and listened attentively.

"This is the Underground News Network. Compiling updates…" the Den Den Mushi spoke before closing its eyes. "Updates compiled. Donquixote Doflamingo has been arrested by Admiral Fujitora after a battle with the Straw Hat Pirates. Blackbeard Pirates reportedly on the move. Kaido & Beast Pirates have reportedly annexed Wano Country. The mercenary organization Gibraltar has reunited, with all seven members reportedly working on the same bounty. These have been the updates. Kacha."

Diego's eyes slowly started to return to their regular position. Too much had happened that needed to be process. Diego stood suddenly, black coat flapping around his shoulders; he needed to find Sabo. Diego strode out of the room at a brisk pace, headed towards the docks at Baltigo. Rounding the corner of the semi-natural, semi-manmade castle, Diego ran into one of the Revolutionary Army's hunters, Souda Bay, sitting on a ledge overlooking the window. Souda had on her Hunter Corps uniform, a black halter top with a thick green stripe in the middle and leather pants. Souda's four knives were attached to her thighs and an additional two daggers attached to her dark green combat boots. Her twin khopeshes, lined with seastone, lay strapped to her back in an X formation. Souda's black hair stood in stark contrast to the strange ray of sunshine that occasionally broke through the clouds of Baltigo.

"Souda, do you know if Sabo has returned yet?" Diego questioned.

"His ship just docked. Has something happened?" Souda returned Diego's inquiry.

"The Straw Hats have essentially just deposed that pink feather boa freak." Diego exclaimed with a mix of disgust for Doflamingo and grudging admiration for the Straw Hat Pirates. Souda's eyes widened, much like Diego's did when he had the news confirmed by the Den Den Mushi. Finally, she let out a small chuckle, before dropping down from the window ledge.

"Well, he should probably be able to tell us more in person. I suspect he isn't far from the entrance, we can just meet him." Souda suggested. Diego nodded and quickly fell in step beside her. The pair made their way down a pair of stairs and through a rather dilapidated hall towards the entrance to the Revolutionary Army's base. Diego and Souda were more than halfway down the hall before an explosion was heard. Glancing at each other, they rushed the entrance, Diego bursting through the door and straight towards the source of the noise. Souda ran right behind him, then darted to the side at her first opening, attempting to observe the situation and see best when to strike. 

Diego ran the smoke cloud only to see a giant plume of flame roar through it, clearing the smoke from the air. Diego growled when he saw the two combatants; Sabo, covered in various licks of flame, wielding his signature pipe and the Blackbeard Pirates' Jesus Burgess. Souda immediately took possession of her twin khopeshes, the blades glinting from the reflection of the water drops in the fog.

"Oh, hey Diego, hey Souda. Think we could mobilize the forces?" Sabo grinned as he asked, eyes never leaving Burgess.

"Wiiihahahahaha! You may have made a fool of me at Dressrosa, boy, but now the Blackbeard Pirates are on their way here. The Revolutionary Isle Baltigo! You made a mistake not putting me down, boy!" Burgess' laughter trailed off as he glared at Sabo. Diego glanced at Souda, who nodded, then disappeared, headed for the docks. Diego turned towards Burgess, tightening his fists.

"Burgess, you should've stayed at Dressrosa. I do not know your intentions here, but they stop now." Diego stood abreast of Sabo, who had begun slowly radiating flames across his body and his metal pipe.

Burgess growled once before leaping at them, fist outstretched to deliver a powerful right hook. Sabo slammed his pipe against the ground, vaulting in the air, leaving a trail of flames in his wake, just missing Burgess' fist, who, despite being heavily injured still had access to his immense speed. Sabo flipped in the air, aiming his fist at Burgess' broad back.

"Hiken!" The large fist of fire slammed into Burgess' back as Diego held fast. Burgess yelled out in pain but kept his fist swinging towards Diego's face only to have his fist crash against an impossibly hard object. Burgess dropped to the ground, cradling his broken hand and trying to avoid rolling onto his charred back. Diego glared imperiously at man who lay beneath him as Sabo landed behind Burgess, flaming pole pointed at the man on the ground.

"The laws of nature do not affect me, Burgess," Diego addressed him, tone full of contempt, "therefore, your measly fist is akin to a pebble being thrown at a mountain." Diego made to move towards the collapsed pile that was Burgess, until a noise broke through the fog.

Souda flipped back into the clearing, twisting and twirling all the while. Souda's boots had come off, leaving one khopesh grasped between her toes and the other in her hand. Souda's leg spun around, parrying a blow from a nodachi wielded by a yet unseen man in the fog. Souda spun on her free hand once more, tossing the khopesh in her foot in the air, before pushing off and spinning in the air, landing on her feet, a khopesh in each hand. Souda focus on the shadow in the fog.

"You blasted woman! The fuck have you done to my eyesight?!" A large man burst from the fog, dressed in a black uniform, complete with a white jacket, wielding the very same nodachi that had just attacked Souda. Diego and Sabo assumed fighting positions as they glared at Shiliew of the Rain.

"No matter, little girl. I still have Haki, which means my sword will still lop off all the little bits that make that acrobatic body of yours work."

Shiliew launched himself at Souda, sword thrusting forward in front of him. Souda caught his sword between her twin khopeshes, locking the blade, then thrust upward, parrying his strike. Souda dodged to the right, almost as if she were yanked, avoiding Shiliew's downward retaliation strike. Shiliew slashed several more times with increasing accuracy, his Kenbunshoku Haki making up for Souda stealing his eyesight via her Sensu Sensu no Mi. Souda artfully dodged his striked, leaping and ducking in a circle around him where necessary. Souda barely blinked, doing her utmost to focus her eyesight on her target while dodging at the same time.

Diego fully turned towards Shiliew, intending to throw a punch, when he heard powerful wingbeats clearing away the fog. Slowly descending towards him was Laffitte, another Blackbeard Pirate and one of his Ten Titanic Captains. Laffitte grinned as his wings folded into his back as he drew his flintlocks and aimed them at Sabo and Diego.

"Sorry, boys, but your fight is with me." Laffitte's smile grew impossible wider.

"You have the wrong opponents. Those bullets will work on neither of us." Sabo stated.

Laffitte only continued to smile that overbearing smile as he began shooting bullets coated in Busoshoku Haki. Sabo immediately leapt behind Diego, who remained steadfast where he was standing.

"You couldn't be bothered to dodge or deflect on your own?" Diego side-eyed Sabo even though he couldn't see him.

"What's the point when I can have your Teisū Teisū no Mi do all the work for me?" Diego heard the grin in his voice. The bullets lay on the ground; upon coming into contact with Diego's chest, they'd simply lost all momentum and dropped to the ground. Laffitte's wide grin dimmed somewhat considerably.

"No Haki, hmmmm? That has to be a nice Devil Fruit you have then. Perhaps I should acquire it?" Laffitte holstered his guns, then proceeded to draw his cane sword as he advanced slowly towards Diego and Sabo.

"The laws of nature do not affect me." Diego reiterated once more. "If your bullets could not damage me, what makes you believe your sword will?" Diego turned slightly towards Sabo. "Head back to the docks, see if they brought reinforcements. I'll take out the trash." Sabo nodded behind Diego's back, before his lower half turned entirely to blazing hot flames as he rocketed off toward the docks.

Diego filtered the ringing noises of blade clanging against blade as Souda and Shiliew continued their exchange as he focused in on the slowly approaching Laffitte. Suddenly, Laffitte took to the air, cane sword in hand, as he descended rapidly towards Diego. Diego loosened his control, before jumping into the air, ascending several leagues higher than Laffitte, who had turned around in shock, feathers floating around him. Diego smirked, before locking his legs together and releasing his mental control. He rocketed towards the ground at the speed of gravity, smashing into Laffitte, before they both promptly crashed into the ground, dust rising and mixing with the fog from the crater that had formed. Diego stood impassively next to Laffitte's bloody and battered body, wings broken and crimped as he coughed violently. Diego glanced down at the embarrassment below him.

"So much for a Titanic Captain. Understand this, Laffitte: I am Diego Garcia, number three in charge of the Revolutionary Army. I am both the unstoppable force and the immovable object. Let this be a warning to you and anyone else who would oppose us. I will crush you underfoot."

Diego heard an explosion in the distance and looked to see several plumes of fire in the direction of the docks. Diego stepped out of the small crater, to see Shiliew on his knees, a khopesh around his neck as Souda balanced herself on his back.

"You little brat, I'm done with you!" Shiliew growled as he flipped his nodachi in his hand, arm swinging back around. Souda cried out as his sword impaled her in her side, half the blade sinking into her midsection. Shiliew stood, rolling his shoulder as Souda fell off his back. His eyesight returned, Shiliew rotated quickly, grabbing Souda by her leg before delivering a powerful, Haki-imbued fist to Souda's upside-down thigh. She cried out again, louder, as she immediately crashed into a nearby boulder, sword sinking further into her side. Diego paled as he began to run towards Shiliew who had begun stalking towards Souda.

"Stop." The command from the newcomer gave both Shiliew and Diego pause as they turned towards the source of the voice.

Holding the head of the barely lucid Laffitte in one hand and the unconscious Burgess in the other, stood Shijo the Exploder. Diego groaned internally; the day now had the potential to become really bad or really good in an instant. Behind Shijo's left stood the mercenary Vapor. Gibraltar had arrived at the Isle of Baltigo. 

Shijo grimaced at the situation ahead of him. To his left, Souda lay unconscious against a boulder after Shiliew's devastating strike. The man in question was steps from her, his bloodthirsty gaze trained on Shijo. To his right, the revolutionary Diego Garcia stood, gaze slightly worried as his eyes flicked between him and his fallen friend.

"So, Shiliew, we have a problem. I need a little assistance from the Revolutionary Army, and what do I find when I arrive at Baltigo? A small fleet of Blackbeard's ships and you three, just mucking about, doing what the fuck ever, etcetera. You see my issue, no?"

"What in the hell do you want, Exploder? The fuck does a mercenary organization need with some two-bit revolutionaries?" Shiliew growled out.

"Don't worry your little pentagon face about that, that's our business. Here's what you need to know: Leave now and your friends leave with you, alive. Fail to do so, and I kill them now. Whatever crazy shit your captain can do, I'm almost certain he can't bring back the dead." Shijo's grip tightened around Laffitte and Burgess, nonchalant grin aimed directly at Shiliew.

"Fine. Toss them here." Shiliew spoke, barely contained rage present in his voice.

Shijo motioned to toss the body of Laffitte, dragging him up and pulling his arm back, as if to throw him. Almost suddenly, Shijo let Laffitte's body drop again, grip still tight around his forehead. Shijo looked up at the anger on Shiliew's face and confusion on Diego's and grinned. Suddenly, two loud explosions were heard, the brightness momentarily blinding the four present. As the smoke settled, two distinct thumps were heard, the smoke clearing away to revealed the bodies of Laffitte and Burgess. Their entire body from the chest up had disappeared, the open flesh and wounds cauterized immediately from the heat and intensity of Shijo's Nenshō Nenshō no Mi. Vapor, Shiliew and Diego looked on in shock at the two stumps.

"When I let you escape here with your life, tell Blackbeard that was penance for leaving me at the mercy of Ryokugyu." Shijo's grin had disappeared in an instant, replaced by a quiet fury. Shiliew's face experienced a rainbow of emotions, before he disappeared into the fog, pausing only to retrieve his sword from Souda's body. Diego's face was pensive as his eyes rose to meet Shijo's, the familiar grin back in place.

"Good. Now that that has been taken care of, let's talk business."


End file.
